Pieces of a shattered life
by Miss Banshee
Summary: What if Zhalia wasn't deliberately with the Organization? What happens when she is able to escape and which effects will Klaus' experiments have on her now?
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue**

_Dante,_

_Horrible news reached the Foundation. We received the information that the Organisation is making experiments with seekers… We think that the Organisation is trying to build the perfect weapon… Perfect amulets, perfect powers, perfect strength… I guess it has to do something with this crazy scientist Klaus… You've already heard about him…_

_The Foundation decided that we have to step in. We can't sit here and watch while innocent seekers are being killed… This could also be the reason for Scarlett's disappearance… Maybe she was being caught and is now held prisoner…_

_We will meet in Venice, Friday, 10:00 o'clock in the evening at the Foundation's quarters… _

_We need your help Dante, without you as our companion we won't be able to stand up against it…_

_I know that I can count on you… _

_I'll see you there, my boy…_

_Yours Metz…_

_**I had this idea and somehow I just wanted to write it down…**_

_**Next chapter will give you more information and more action…**_

_**Please review… **_

_**~MissLaboe~**_


	2. Chapter one

_**Hello guys…**_

_**There are some things I have to say…:D**_

_**Well, in this story every seeker has only one amulet… I like the idea of having only one titan, which reflects the protagonists' character…**_

_**I am not sure if there'll be spells in my story… **_

_**So, I hope you'll like it…**_

_**Chapter one**_

_**Dante's pov:**_

_**Venice-Italy**_

Dante locked up his car. He was having a Foundation Meeting in some minutes and he was already late. Night had already fallen over Venice and stars were twinkling. The park deck was nearly empty; there were only a few cars left. Dante headed for the elevators, he knew that he would be faster using them than walking down several floors. He looked at his watch and sighed, Metz and the others were already waiting. The russet haired man looked up as he heard the elevator's `ping´.

Dante gasped, as the doors opened. The elevator's ground was covered with blood. In the lake of blood a young woman sat but he couldn't call it sitting anymore. She was rather lying on the ground, her upper body leaning against the wall. Her skinny black jeans and her black top were drenched in blood. Her midnight-blue hair fell into her face and covered it, but Dante was able to see that her eyes were half open.

Dante kneeled down beside her in shock. She was pale, paler than she should be. He stroke her hair out of her face.

`Can you hear me?´, he called, his voice full of fear. She turned her head so she could see him. Her eyes were glassy.

`Leave me, please… ´, the woman answered. Her voice was weak and she was shaking, but that was no wonder. It was December and the streets of Venice were already covered with snow.

In that moment Dante realized that she was holding a knife in her hand. Its blade was bloody. He now knew where all the blood came from. The inside of her right forearm was cut open. Blood was inexorably flowing from her arm.

He looked at her face again. She hadn't been hurt by anyone, she had hurt herself. Dante took the knife out of her hand and threw it away.

He covered her with his coat to warm her up and he called for one of the Foundations emergency teams, they would take her to a Foundation hospital. He missed a beat when he noticed that she was wearing an amulet. She was a Seeker.

Russet haired man tried to stop the bleeding, the wound was deep. This woman had to be very brave, anyone else would have been afraid of the pain. Her pain must have been beyond all bearing. Suddenly, while examining the wound, he realised that there was something silvery shimmering under all the blood. It was set at the deepest point of the wound. It was a chip.

In Dante's mind all the things suddenly matched. She had tried to remove this chip; she was being on the run. She had collapsed while trying to remove the chip. She hadn't wanted to kill herself; she wanted to free herself from this electric chain…

_**Zhalia's pov:**_

She had been on the run for three days now. Finally she had realised that the Organisation would find her everywhere as long as she had this chip inside her arm. They somehow seemed to locate her everywhere she was going. _This crazy scientist_, she thought.

Three days. She hadn't been sleeping for three days now. She hadn't eaten and she hadn't rested. They had found her, every time she tried. She was exhausted; lack of sleep and food made it impossible for her to go straight and she felt like her legs would give in any minute. She had made a plan; the next park deck wasn't far away… She would cut that chip out of her arm, after that she would steal a car and drive to the next Foundation basis. As far the Foundation still existed…

It had been a long time, six years. Many things could change in six years. Many things had changed…

_**xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**_

_**Flashback**_

_`When will we arrive..?´, fourteen year old Zhalia asked her parents annoyed. She was sitting in the back seat of her parents' car. They were on their way to Venice where they would meet Metz. As far as Zhalia knew he was a good friend of her parents. They had been working together in the Foundation… And now her parents had had the brilliant idea to visit him and his adopted son Dante…_

_And because of that she had to spend her summer holidays in Venice. She had never liked the summer. The weather was too warm. _

_`Oh, C`mon Zhaal… I'm sure you're going to like Metz. We haven't seen him in a while´, her father answered. At the sight of Zhalia rolling her eyes her mother had to laugh… Their daughter could be so moody. It had started with her puberty and it had gotten worse in the last year… _

_`I don't know, maybe you remember Metz´, her mother smiled, ` He visited us a few times, when you were still a child´._

_`I can't remember him´, Zhalia sighed. She had only seen some pictures of him. The fourteen year old girl started playing with her necklace and summoned a little titan. It was a small iguana. The little titan coiled up in her lap and fell asleep. Zhalia's parents smiled, they were proud on their daughter. One day she would be a great seeker. _

_Suddenly her father slowed the car down. Zhalia was able to see a traffic control. The car stopped next to the police officer. The next things happened too fast to really describe them. The officer said something like: `Sorry for interrupting your little trip, Mr Moon´. Then she heard gunfire and saw her parents hanging numb in their safety belts, their bodies covered with blood. _

_Zhalia screamed and Gareon awoke, the little titan attacked the officer, but it was too late. Five or more suits appeared and dragged her out of the car. She tried to get free, tried to get to her parents, but deep inside the fourteen year old girl had realised that it was too late. The last thing she saw was the car exploding. These ass holes had blown the car up… Than everything became black…_

_**xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**_

The Organisation hat kidnapped her and had held her prison for six years. She had survived six years as an experiment in their basis. They had tried to brainwash her but it hadn't worked. She had always been fighting back. Six years of fighting, six years of torture and pain. But they didn't brake her… They even more had trained her. In the beginning she hadn't been able to fight back but with the time she had learned how to fight. She had to learn it; else she wouldn't have survived in this prison. Every time they tried to take her to the labour either the suits or she ended up bleeding or bruised…

And now only one person could help her. She had always kept his name in mind, because she had the feeling that her parents wanted her to meet him. Metz would help her…

After all this pain in her heart the pain in her arm while cutting it open didn't mean anything to her. First she had been afraid to hurt herself but as soon as she saw the blood flowing from her arm she didn't think about it anymore. Deeper and deeper she engraved the blade into her arm… She entered the park deck's elevator and suddenly she felt weak. She leaned against the wall, her sight starting to get blurry and the pain was overwhelming her… She would have never thought that the chip would be so deep in her arm. Too deep, the blood was now inexorably flowing running down her arm, drenching her clothes and covering the floor. She sank to the ground, her back leaned against the wall…

She was nearly unconscious, her eyes were half closed, her body was cold and numb, her breath was weak…

Like being underwater she heard someone ask her something, she didn't even know who it was, she didn't care… She only knew that he or she was in danger, because the Organisation would kill anyone who would help her… And as far as she remembered the chip wasn't removed so she could still be located…

`Leave me, please…´, She whispered dazed. But she had the feeling that the person wouldn't leave. She felt how the person was trying to help her, calling an emergency, caring for her…

_**Dante's pov:**_

The ambulance had arrived. Two emergency doctors were sitting next to her, stopping the bleeding, giving her pain-killers. Dante had called Metz, he had the feeling that Metz wanted to know about the woman. Dante saw how the emergency doctors were putting the young woman down on a litter.

Metz arrived while they were carrying her to the ambulance. He approached the woman in a hurry.

`Metz? What is it? ´, Dante asked and looked at Metz in a puzzled way. Metz eyes were still focused on the woman's face.

`I know her ´, Metz said slowly, his voice grave `I thought she was dead. They were all dead´. Dante only looked at him. He didn't understand anything of what his mentor had been saying. Metz seemed to have noticed that too.

`This is Zhalia… She was my dear friends' daughter. Six years ago the whole family died because of a car crash. Everyone thought that she was dead too. The car exploded and the Foundation was never able to detect why. It was a shock for everyone. Me…´, his voice broke `Me, Eathon and Sandra were often on missions with her parents. The last time I saw her was so long ago, but I'm sure it's her´.

Dante looked at his mentor. He was like a father for him but he had never seen him like this. He was erratic and Dante could see the pain in his face. He remembered how Metz told him about his dead friends but he had told him only about happy memories, Metz had always kept his countenance. Different than now.

Dante rested his hand on Metz' shoulder…

`Are you sure? ´, Dante asked silently. Metz nodded.

`She wears the amulet. The amulet, which her parents gave to her from birth on´, Metz whispered. Dante and Metz watched how the doors of the ambulance were closed.

`C'mon, we'll wait for her in the hospital, I'm sure she'll be alright´, said Dante and hoped so himself, he somehow felt something he had never felt before and he didn't know what it was.

_**Some hours later**__**,**_

_**Dante's pov:**_

`We were able to transplant the chip. It is some kind of control-chip. It locates her everywhere she goes. We know its style; it is for sure one of the Organisation's fabrications. I think it has something to do with the experimenting thing the Organisation is doing´, Dante looked at the Foundation's computer expert, whose name he always forgot.

`But how does it come that we just recently found out about those experiments? ´, asked Metz. Dante knew that his mentor blamed himself for not finding his friends' daughter.

`We'll search for more information. But I am sure that the woman can tell us many things, she knew about this chip and its reason´, the expert said. Metz turned to leave and Dante knew that he needed to be alone.

While Metz went to his room, Dante was walking straight to Metz' home office. He didn't know why, but he wanted to know more about the woman, more about Zhalia Moon. He opened a cupboard of Metz' desk. The photo albums were lying upon another and Dante searched for the right one. Finally he found the right album, he opened it.

There were pictures of him as a child, pictures of Metz, pictures of Metz and his friends and on the last two sites Dante found a picture of a family.

A tall man with midnight blue hair and a woman with brown hair standing in front of a church. Dante identified the church as Notre Dame. In front of them a young girl could be seen. She had midnight blue hair. She was about thirteen years old. Although Dante knew that it was her, her beauty was the same as it was today so many years later. Somehow he felt sad when he thought that the same girl was lying in a bed some floors above him, reviving from her nearly death…

_**:D**_

_**Ok, I like it…**_

_**So if you like it too, tell me…^^ I count on your reviews…:D**_

_**~MissLaboe~**_


	3. Chapter two

_**Chapter two:**_

_**Third person narrator:**_

`She should have already woken up. I don't understand this´, a doctor said while shaking his head over the medical documents. The doctor looked up when he heard the door to his workroom open.

`What don't you understand? ´, Metz asked while entering the room with Dante.

`Miss Moon should have come out from anaesthesia long ago. She should be strong enough now, but it looks like her body is used to anaesthesia. We surely know that she is alive but we don't have any clue why she doesn't wake up´, answered the doctor.

Metz looked down at the ground. It had nearly been a week and Zhalia still hadn't given a sign of life. If she wouldn't be breathing and if the electrocardiogram wouldn't show that she was alive everyone would have said she was dead.

`Can we see her? ´, Metz asked his voice sad and hopeless. The doctor nodded and led them to another room. He opened the door for them and entered the room after Dante and Metz. The only sound that filled the room was a beeping of several instrumentation and medical equipment.

Zhalia lay in a bed. The blanket covered her body from her feet to her stomach. She was wearing a black top and black joggers, her right forearm was still bandaged. Her midnight blue hair framed her face and she wasn't that pale anymore. But Dante somehow felt that something was missing, something that should be with her. She looked like she was sleeping, with her eyes closed and her breath steady. But Dante knew that she wasn't. Maybe it was like sleeping for her, like peace, but here in the Foundation's hospital her state was clear: She was in a coma.

`Her forearm hasn't really healed too. It is as if her healing process just doesn't want to work´, the doctor told them.

Dante frowned. Something was stopping her from healing, something was missing. Then his gaze fell on her neck. In that moment he knew what was missing.

`Why isn't she wearing her amulet? ´, Dante said while turning around, looking at the doctor.

`We had to take it off before we started the emergency operation´, the doctor answered puzzled. Dante saw how a spark of hope lightened up in his mentor's eyes.

`Go and bring us her amulet please´, Metz ordered and the doctor left.

`Do you think having her amulet back will change her state? ´, Metz said while looking at Dante. Dante only nodded. He had never been departed from Solwing and he couldn't imagine how it would feel.

When the doctor came back he gave Dante a green and silver necklace. Dante looked at it; the amulet looked dead to him. Normally an amulet was glowing a bit, showing that a titan lived in it. But this amulet seemed cold.

He turned around and approached the woman's bed. He sat down and put the necklace around her neck. While doing this he stroked her cheek slightly, feeling her tender skin.

As soon as the amulet met her skin it started to glow in a green light and Zhalia's upper part of the body was lifted up a few centimetres from the bed. After some seconds she fell back into her pillows, numb and motionless as she had been before.

Dante shook his head, he had been sure that this was the reason for her state. He carefully took her hand and searched for a pulse at her wrist. Before he was able to find one, he felt how the woman closed her hand's grip around his hand. He looked up and felt how he got lost in a pair of chocolate-brown eyes, but she didn't look at him she looked at the ceiling, her eyes were glassy.

_**Zhalia's pov: **_

It felt like an electric pulse that ran through her body. He was back, she was no more alone, the part of her that had been gone for days was back.

`_I am back_´, she heard a familiar voice inside her mind.

`_I know, Gareon. I know_´, Zhalia whispered in her mind and felt how she recovered with every second.

`_You can wake up now, there is nothing you have to be afraid of_´, Gareon whispered. Zhalia felt how someone touched her wrist and her hand. It wasn't the same feeling like it had been in the Organisation's basis, where they hadn't cared about hurting her or not, it felt different. It felt warm and caring. She didn't know what else to do. So she did what she would have done six years ago. She took the hand and held it, as if she could draw strength from it.

She opened her eyes. First her sight was blurred but then she was able to see a russet haired man sitting by her side. She remembered seeing him before everything turned black that night. Zhalia looked down her body, her right forearm was bandaged. Suddenly her eyes widened.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

_She was lying on a table. Her body was bruised and she felt dizzy. Her wrists and ankles were chained to the table. _

_`What do you want from me, let me go´, the young Zhalia shouted. She had spent the night in a cell, crying over her parents' death. She had tried to defend herself, when the men had come to take her to this lab. Biting, kicking, shouting. Nothing had helped, she only got really bruised. But honestly, what could a fourteen year old girl do against a couple of grown up men. _

_`Believe me, little one. I won't hurt you if you don't defend yourself. We only need for some experiments´, an old man said. She was afraid, what did those guys want from her? He took out a syringe._

_`You can't do this! Stop it, someone will find you. Stop it! ´, Zhalia called, she tried to break the free but she had no chance. The man came nearer and Zhalia couldn't think of anything else to do in this moment. She wanted to show that she had pride. They could hurt her, but she wouldn't cry, she wouldn't beg. She spat at the man's face. The man called some swearwords she didn't understand, than she felt a fist hitting her face. She looked at her arm and saw how the needle pierced into her skin. _

_Her sight got blurry, her body went numb, she couldn't mover her arms anymore. She didn't see anything… Until everything was black, only the pain stayed…_

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

A needle was pierced in to her arm. A needle… Panic flew through her veins; the familiar feeling of angst overwhelmed her. Knee-jerked she pulled the needle out of her arm and sat up. She saw two other men standing in the room. One of them was a doctor but she felt like she knew the other man. He was older and he seemed graver than he had looked on the photos. But there were no doubts, he had to be Metz. All those years she had sworn to herself that she would never forget his face. He was the only one who knew about Titans, about Seekers, about her parents. She pushed the blanket away and tried to stand up but as soon as she tried the man beside her kept her from doing it. She looked at her right arm and realised that she was still holding his hand. Abruptly she let go of his hand and pushed him away.

`Miss Moon, I think it's better to rest for a while. You just came out of an anaesthesia, we already thought we'd lost you´, the doctor said calm.

`With my sincere thanks Sir, but I don't need to rest, There are more important things I have in mind´, she said confident, but as soon as she tried to stand up her legs didn't want to carry her weight anymore.

She saw black spots, which constricted her sight and she felt dizzy. Her body faltered and Zhalia prepared herself for meeting the ground in less than a second but she didn't. Someone was holding her.

`You sure you don't want to rest´, someone whispered. She turned her head and saw the russet haired man. He held her around the waist to keep her from falling.

`Yes, I am sure´, she whispered, while trying to keep balance.

`Ok, than lean on´, he said and put her arm around his neck so that she could lean on him. First she was a little bit stunned but she didn't let anyone see this. She would have expected him to make her lie down again, but he accepted her decision.

We stopped in front of Metz. First Metz and the man shared a look that clearly said_: Is she strong enough?_ But then the russet haired man nodded and Metz gaze fell on her. Zhalia couldn't tell what he was thinking in this moment. On the one hand his face was signed by relief and happiness but on the other hand she clearly saw signs of sadness, anger and grief.

`Welcome home, Zhalia. Believe me, we won't let something like this happen again´, he said, his voice silent but she could hear that he really meant it. She nodded; what else should she do?

`C'mon. Let's get you to the living room´, russet haired man said.

`By the way, my name is Dante´, he said while letting her down so she could sit down on the couch.

`You found me that night´, it wasn't a question, Zhalia remembered his voice, his eyes and the smell of his coat.

`I guess I ruined your coat´, she said. Dante gave her a sardonic laugh.

`Believe me, my coat was the last thing I was worried about´, he answered…

_**Dante's pov: **_

He had never met a woman like her. When he watched her sitting on the couch, she seemed so fragile and closed up but her words were confident and grave. She didn't show any emotions or feelings her face was expressionless. But sometimes when she thought about things he noticed how her eyes turned glassy and she seemed to get lost in her mind.

They had talked to her for a long time. Starting at the point where she had been kidnapped and ending where Dante had found her. She talked but she didn't reveal any details. Realistically and objective she told them about her imprisonment, about years of torture, years of fighting and years of withstanding the Organisation's brainwash. It seemed unrealistic that such a brutal and bizarre Organisation still existed in modern times like this. They had tried to change her, but she had never forgotten who she really was: A Foundation's operatives' daughter.

She did a good job hiding her past and hiding her shattered soul, but Dante couldn't deny that she didn't appear like a normal woman of her age should. She was different; she was one-of-a-kind, because no one else could imagine what she had endured.

`I want you to know, that your parents would have been proud of you. You finally found your way to the Foundation. It would have meant a lot to them, that you are part of this world and with it part of the Foundation´, Metz said after their conversation.

He took out a photo and gave it to Zhalia. Dante wasn't able to see what the picture showed but it had to be something that alarmed the young woman. It was the first time that Dante saw a sign of sorrow and pain in her eyes.

`I think I need some time alone´, she said. Dante stood up and helped her up. The anaesthesia's after-effects had faded away. She was able to walk again even if she was still balancing.

`I'll bring her to one of the guestrooms. I don't think that another night in the infirmary would be good´, Dante said to Metz before leaving the room after Zhalia.

She tried to avoid his gaze and was hiding her face behind her hair. When they reached the guestroom he looked at her for a last time.

`If you need anything or if you don't want to be alone, just call for us´, he said and tried to catch her gaze.

`I've been alone for six years, I think I can handle this´, she said grave but Dante thought that he had heard her voice breaking. She entered the room and closed the door. Closing his eyes, Dante ran his fingers through his hair. He went down the corridor, wanting to go back to Metz. He couldn't tell what he would do after losing his parents, after nearly dying, after six years of imprisonment. He wouldn't be able to go on. Her façade had some gaps, gaps that showed that she was just like every other human being. Grieving and hurt.

**In the night: **

Dante had only slept a few hours. Once he had been awake he hadn't been able to fall back to sleep again, so he had dressed himself and left for the kitchen. The corridors were dark and everything was silent. Suddenly he stood still. There was someone near, he could feel it. While scanning the `empty´ corridor, he turned around to check if there was someone standing behind him. Nothing.

But suddenly in the middle of the corridor an animal appeared. It was a small iguana. In less than a second Dante knew to whom this titan belonged. He didn't even wait for any signs. Titans were there to defend their master or mistress. It didn't happen often, but a titan could evoke itself, if its master or mistress was in danger and no more in the position to protect him-or herself

When he reached her guestroom's door he didn't even knock, he opened the door straight forward. The room was completely dark; first he wasn't able to see anything. But then he was able to see a slim figure lying curled up on the floor. He rushed over to her.

Not again, he didn't know why but not at any price he wanted to see her hurt again. While he kneeled down beside her, he realised that there were shards all around her. Dante guessed that they had once been the vase that decorated the commode. He turned her body around, only to see that her face was covered with tears. She had dark circles around her eyes, she probably hadn't slept. She was still crying and she didn't seem to be in the position to think clearly, completely drenched in tears. Next to her a photo lay on the floor. It was the photo Dante had seen in Metz' album, the photo of a happy family only six or seven years ago, to her it had to feel like decades.

Suddenly Dante realised that she wasn't wearing her bandage anymore and suddenly the shards made sense to him. Her arm was bleeding again not much, but it was bleeding, she had scribed open her old wound and she still held the bloody shard in her left hand. And now Dante understood why her titan had brought him to his mistress. The little iguana had tried to prevent her from hurting herself. Dante lifted her up, she was cold and he didn't know how long she had been lying on the floor.

He laid her down on the bed and set down beside her. Her hand still clenching the sharp. He took her hand and made her loosen the grip. With every minute her hand and body relaxed more and more. She was breathing calm now, only the tears were silently escaping her eyes.

`Trying to hurt myself was wrong´, she said at last with her eyes still focused on the ceiling.

`Yes it was´, Dante confirmed `If your titan wouldn't have reached me, god knows what would have happened´.

`They wouldn't have wanted me to hurt myself´, she whispered while looking at the photo.

`No, they would want you fight back´, he said. Then she didn't say anything anymore, because she had drifted into sleep. Dante shook his head when he saw the little iguana lying down on her stomach and falling asleep…

It hurt him to see her like this. While he had everything he wanted, she had lost everything. And now he had to watch her fall, not being able to help her. Not being able to take some of the weight upon her shoulders away.

_**First of all: Thanks for all the reviews… **_

_**I hope you like this chapter…;) I know, I could have also chosen Calavan as Dante's Titan but I wanted Solwing, because in the series he's Dante's first Titan… **_

_**Please review, I am always happy to read what you think about my stories…**_

_**And by the way: A happy new year to all of you… May 2012 be a good year…**_

_**Yours…**_

_**~MissLaboe~**___


	4. Chapter three

_**Chapter three:**_

_**Dante's pov: **_

They hadn't talked about this night anymore. Most of the time they had spent together. Ten days had passed. They had been shopping, because Zhalia needed new things to wear and they had started to furnish her room, because she had decided to stay at the Foundation's basis.

For Dante it had been ten of his most beautiful days in life. The first days had been sad and depressing but the fact that she had had six years to get over her parents' death helped him to distract her from the sorrow. He had done his best to make her forget what had happened. He knew that she did her best making him think that everything was alright, but sometimes when she was lost in her mind he still saw the old wounds. Then her eyes started getting glassy and she touched her amulet as if she could draw strength from it.

The last days had taught him that she was different to every other woman he had met in his life. She wasn't that kind of woman that expected anything from him, for her it was enough to have someone who was with her. She had tried to make him think that she didn't need him, but he didn't let himself be tricked.

_**In the evening:**_

_**Dante's pov:**_

`The fighting scenes are unreal and the special effects are weak´, she said. Dante rolled his eyes annoyed. He didn't know how often she had said that.

`You said that before´, he mumbled. He had decided to show her one of his favourite movies and she just couldn't stop criticising it. He had to smile looking at her sitting on the couch in her black, skinny jeans and her black top. She had fun, but not because she liked the movie, but rather because she liked teasing him. Her eyes lightened up with amusement when she saw him rolling his eyes.

`C'mon, I am better at fighting than they are´, she said, pointing at the television.

`Yeah, sure´, Dante countered `If you are that good at fighting. Why don't we make a competition? ´. She sat up.

`What do you have in mind? ´, she asked grinning.

`You and me. In the gym. We'll see which one of us has more experience. If I lose I'll invite you to a drink and if you lose you'll have to watch the whole movie, without saying a word about how it is made´, he proposed. She squinted her eyes and smiled.

`Fine´, she nodded.

_**In the gym:**_

Ok, she wasn't as bad as he had thought. Honestly: She was indeed better, Dante thought, while having to avoid her kicks to not get hurt. She was fighting with grace and her movements were flowing, each of it perfectly roofed over.

`See, I'm not THAT bad´, she grinned, while seeing him backing off.

`It could be worse´, he teased her and approached her, while avoiding her attacks.

`Excuse me. But what did you say? ´, she asked, her voice filled with sarcasm. Suddenly she felt his grip around her arms and realised that she was not able to move them anymore. His grip was too strong.

`I said I could teach you some things´, he said looking at her while she wasn't able to brake free.

`And that would be? ´, she asked coldly.

He grinned. It was funny to provoke her. She was just so easily distracted by his words.

`Don't let yourself be distracted by other things, while you're fighting´, he whispered. For a moment everything was silent. But then he saw fire arising in her eyes.

`Boltflare´, she whispered with a grin. Her hand started to glow and Dante was able to feel the spell's heat. He abruptly let go of her and used Hyperstride to jump away and save himself. But she didn't let the spell explode. She held it in her hand, controlling its power and not letting it go.

She approached him with the spell in her hand, smiling slightly. He stood still; she was able to use spells. How could she be able to use spells? No one had taught her.

`You never said that you could use spells. It's unfair, I didn't know´, he said still stunned.

`You know, there is not a better teacher than fear and anger. And believe me, all's fair in love and war´, she said with a sardonic laugh. She let go the Boltflare. She seemed to be sure that he wouldn't be able to ward it off, so he decided that it would be a good idea to disabuse her. He defended himself with Honorguard and was able to pin her to the ground.

`So that leaves the question: Is this war or is this love? ´, he smirked. As soon as he had said those words he regretted it. Feeling a little bit embarrassed he waited for her reaction, but she only smiled. For some seconds she tried to brake free, but she wasn't able…

_**Zhalia's pov: **_

Zhalia didn't know why, but somehow this situation made her feel extremely uncomfortable. She had to free herself. She didn't let herself be defeated by a man, so there was only one thing left to do. She had to play his game; this was the only way to win.

`You know, there's something I've been meaning to say. I… I just don't know how…´, she said, trying to make her face look doubtful. She focused on his eyes. His face turned caring and he seemed to be absent. Lost in either her eyes or his mind.

`Yes…? ´, he said, as if he tried to encourage her.

His grip decreased and as soon as she felt that she was able to move again she kicked her knee into his stomach. He groaned with pain and she quickly turned the tables.

`This is war and never let yourself be distracted by other things, while you're fighting´, she whispered, leaning down, so that her lips were near his ear `I think, I won´.

`I let you win. I was just fighting with half of my powers´, he said grinning, but she was still able to see that his pride was hurt.

`So you let me win to have a reason for asking me on a date´, Zhalia said smiling evil, while standing up and letting him go.

`No, I… I didn't mean it like this. I…´, he tried to say, but she cut him off.

`You could have just asked, but ok. You wanted it this way´, she grinned. She knew, which buttons she had to push, to make him feel uncomfortable ` I'll meet you in a half hour in the entrance hall, so you can _invite me to a drink_´.

She had almost reached the door, when she turned around again. She looked at Dante, who had sat up.

`Oh, and take a shower. I don't want to go out with someone sweaty´, with that she left the room.

As soon as she had reached her room she let herself fall on her bed. She just couldn't stop laughing and his stunned face would always be burnt into her mind. She had just dumbfounded Dante Vale. After some minutes she had calmed herself down and she realised what she had said. Had she just agreed to go on a date with Dante Vale? No, this wasn't a date, this was just normal. She had spent the last ten days with Dante, that wasn't anything special. At least she hoped, that he would think about it in the same way…

_**Dante's pov:**_

He let himself sink on the ground again. He shook his head, still grinning. He had never seen her act this way. But he had to admit that he had started the whole thing, and he couldn't deny that it hadn't been an accident that the bet he had chosen was a '_date_'. But he still wasn't sure if she was ready. He didn't want to hurt her and honestly, he knew her now for barely fifteen days_. Calm down, Dante. It's not a date. She just said that to tease you._

_**Half an hour later:**_

He was nervous. Why was he nervous? Dante couldn't remember the last time he had actually felt nervous. Normally his mind was always calm, but now his mind was completely confused.

`Ok, can we go? ´, he heard a voice asking from behind. He turned around and could barely keep his jaw from dropping open. Zhalia was wearing black, skinny jeans as always but with her dark blue new t-shirt, that by the way fit her hair perfectly, and the high heeled black boots, she just looked stunningly beautiful.

`Sure, Miss Moon´, he said and suggested a bow. This was going to be a great evening, he thought…

_**Three hours later:**_

_**Third person narrator:**_

Midnight was already far away and the two were walking back to the basis. It had started snowing again, although it was more rain than snow. They had spent the evening at Dante's favourite bar, talking; laughing and having fun. Although Dante had the feeling that her happiness wouldn't last long. Her emotional state didn't seem steady to him. To him it seemed like only a small occurrence could completely brake her down again.

Suddenly she stood still. Dante looked at her. Her face suddenly turned grave and her hair fell into her face, wet because of the rain and snow. Her black, body-hugging coat, that nearly reached the ground, was drenched and raindrops covered her face glittering like tears. Her hand moved up to her amulet.

`Zhalia, what is it? ´, he asked. She didn't answer, her eyes were cold and she seemed to be concentrated on something. He saw her amulet starting to glow green and the small iguana appeared sitting on her shoulder.

`Zhalia´, he asked again, his voice now more worried. Her eyes focused on him.

`Where not alone´, she whispered.

`Well, well. It seems like our years of training finally worked out. Your instincts are much better than those of other people´, they heard a voice from behind. Dante and Zhalia both spun around.

At the end of the alley a small group of man appeared, three men. Two suits and another man. Dante's gaze fell on Zhalia and he saw her expression changing. Her eyes turned expressionless and her face was pale now. It was clear that she had problems controlling herself. Dante approached her, she seemed absent and she didn't even notice him.

`Would you mind giving me my experiment back, Mr Vale? ´, the creepy voice asked from the end of the alley slowly approaching the two seekers.

Dante noticed too late that Zhalia had started an attack. Gareon had already knocked one of the suits out. He saw Zhalia whispering something when suddenly her eyes turned black. The other suit suddenly started to attack the third man, but he just stabbed him with a dagger. Within a second her eyes turned to her usual colour again and Dante understood: She was somehow able to control another person's body. This wasn't natural, no other seeker was able to do such things.

`So, my dear. I see that you are finally able to use your `_ability_´ with full control. Why didn't that work out before we had to torture it out of you? ´, Klaus said with an evil grin. He tried to provoke her, it seemed like she was only able to use those powers when she was in the right emotional state.

Dante saw Zhalia trying to attack but he held her back. She fought with all her strength against his grip, but he didn't let her go.

`Zhalia, don't give him what he wants. He wants you to feel this way, so he can see how your powers are expanding´, Dante tried to calm her down but she didn't listen to him. She bit her lip and did her best to brake free.

This was her chance to revenge her pain. She could make Klaus feel what she had felt six years and what she still felt with every new day. She was just so out of control, she didn't even realise that she was crying and screaming, fighting against Dante's grip. Klaus was alone, now it was his turn to feel the pain and sorrow, but she didn't want to take control over Klaus, he would die, knowing that she would have killed him.

Over Dante's shoulder she was able to see the men disappearing. It had been a warning. A simple trick to make clear, that they would find her. A simple trick to make her remember who she was.

After some seconds she realised that she tasted blood. It couldn't be, she hadn't been injured and Dante hadn't been too. Then she noticed that it was her lip. She had bit her lip so hard that it was bleeding now. She let go of Dante and ran to the place where Klaus had disappeared. Gone, he had just disappeared and nothing was left.

`You should have let me kill him´, she called, turning around facing Dante. She was angry and despaired.

`He wants you to feel this way. He wants to expand your powers and that is why he's remembering you of everything he did to you. He sees you as a weapon and he won't accept his weapon working with the Foundation. He will kill you; he just wants to see how far he got, turning you in to a machine ´, Dante said sadly.

`I don't care if I die. What is there to live for? I lost everything and he is the reason for this. If I die I'll take him with me´, she screamed still not wanting to calm down. He didn't know why, but those words hurt. _What is there to live for?_ He wanted to say: I am here. I will be there for you. But Dante didn't say it; he could understand the young woman. He would have acted the same way.

`Than why didn't you just take control over me, like you did it with the suit? ´, Dante asked and she seemed to calm down a little bit. She had used up her strength and she didn't want to argue with him.

`I don't know. It didn't seem right. I didn't want to take you your will. I like you, you're not like those suits´, she whispered and her eyes filled with tears.

Silence filled the alley and none of them said something. They just looked at each other. After a while her breathing became louder and she started sobbing and crying again. She just stood there and cried. He took her hand and led her back to the basis…

_**In the entrance hall:**_

Zhalia had calmed down again, she was still pale but she seemed to understand him now. In the entrance hall she quickly made her way to the doors that led to her rooms. She had just reached the doors when she heard Dante's voice.

`You know. If those guys wouldn't have ruined this evening, it would have been a great date´, he said and she could hear that he was smiling. She smiled silently and looked at him.

`Yes, I could say the same´, she said before leaving the entrance hall. She wanted to go to her room but she couldn't. Being alone now wasn't the best thing, she knew that. And somehow she had the feeling that Dante would feel the same way. She spun around and hurried back to the entrance hall hoping Dante would still be there.

_**Dante's pov: **_

`Dante´, he heard someone calling from behind. He turned around and had to hide a smile. It was her.

`Uhm, you still want to watch the movie? ´, she asked. Now he couldn't hold back the smile that lightened up his face.

`Sure´, he said and held out his hand. She paused for a moment but then she took his hand, her face revealing a small, shy smile.

_**I hope you like it… **_

_**I did my best and I hope that you'll reward me with many reviews… ;)**_

_**Thanks for all the reviews I already got; it always makes me happy when I read that you like my stories…**_

_**Greetings…**_

_**Yours**_

_**~MissLaboe~**_


	5. Chapter four

_**Hey guys…**_

_**First of all, I want to apologise for the last chapter. I uploaded it and suddenly I just didn't like it anymore. And I somehow didn't want to continue with a story whose plot I didn't like. I'm sure you understand this. I decided to delete the last chapter and start once again, because I somehow missed the humour between DxZ… I think that a story should find the right balance between sadness and humour…**_

_**I hope you can enjoy this chapter… Please review...**_

_**Yours**_

_**~MissLaboe~**_

_**Foundation Basis:**_

_**Dante's pov:**_

It was evening and Dante looked at the pictures Metz had given to him. They were sitting in the kitchen and on the table a map of Venice with all its sewers and streets was broad.

`Some of our operatives found those catacombs under Venice. They must have been built years ago and they are even under the sewers. It looks like the Organisation left those rooms in a hurry. They only left some furniture and old stuff´, Metz said. His mentor pointed at some marked coordinates on the map.

The photos showed rooms barely furnished. One of the rooms was a lab. It looked very derelict. The other picture was more of Dante's interest. It showed a cell. Very derelict too with a bed, which didn't look very comfortable, a chair and a table. In the back Dante noticed a door that probably lead to a toilette or something. Chains were tightened on one of the walls.

`Is this were…´, Dante didn't finish his sentence. He already knew that this was the cell where Zhalia had been held captured over all those years. He tried to imagine how a young girl could survive living in such a cell over so many years.

`Yes, it is. I've been shocked too. It looks much worse than it had sounded in her reports´, Metz sighed.

`I guess the Organisation left the catacombs in fear that Zhalia would tell us where they are hiding and that we would attack´, Dante considered.

`Yes that was my idea too. The fact that we removed her chip must have also bothered them. They couldn't locate her anymore´, said Metz.

Dante looked up, when suddenly a small iguana entered the room. He quickly shoved the map and the photos under the tablecloth. This was something he didn't want her to see. It would only remind her of the worst time of her life.

`Hi guys´, Zhalia said entering the room only seconds after her titan. She had spent the day after their night-time-fight against Klaus and his men in the training room and she hadn't been very open-minded. Dante had also noticed that she had Gareon always evoked although it drained much of her powers and strength. She never let it show but she was paler than normally and she seemed to be tired.

`You can go on talking, I'm just making me a coffee´, she said realising that both man had stopped their conversation.

`Would you mind making me one too? ´, Dante asked to rerecord the unpleasant silence. He heard a melodic but sarcastic laugh from behind him.

`Yeah sure, like I'm your house maid´, she said and deposited an empty cup on the table in front of him and smiled.

`At your service Mr. Vale´, she said while dropping a curtsy before leaving the kitchen. Dante smiled at her comment and behaviour. When he looked at Metz again he saw him smile too.

`She is so much like her mother, you know´, Metz smiled, `The first time I met her she was introduced to me by my team partner. They had been a couple and he wanted me to get to know her. It was shortly after the end of our academic studies and she was a forensic specialist. She was quick at repartee, intelligent, brave and her pride and grandeur made her even more beautiful. Her mother would be so proud on her´.

`Yes, she is something special. Indeed´, Dante said while standing up and making his way to the door.

`Where are you going? ´, his mentor asked.

`I'm going to those Organisation catacombs. Maybe we'll find out more about the Organisation's plans´, said the russet haired man while leaving the room.

_**Zhalia's pov:**_

9:00 pm and nothing was going on. Her thoughts drifted to her painful past and her feelings drifted from natural to depressed. She sighed. _'C'mon you can't waste your whole evening in you room'_. She heard a silent voice in her mind. She felt the small iguana scuttle over her stomach and sat up. She knew Gareon was right, but where should she go? Dante was somewhere running around on a mission or something.

Unmotivated she stood up. _'Fine, then I'll go alone'_. She had nearly left the entrance hall, when she looked back at the place where all the keys where kept. Over the past weeks she had always wondered what the black keys were for. A smile rose on her face when she let them fall into her trouser pocket. Maybe this evening was going to be more interesting than expected.

_**23:00 pm **_

`Another drink, Miss? ´, the barkeeper asked. Zhalia had decided to go to a club first. She wanted people around her. And honestly an entire club full of people and deafening loud music didn't leave much space for bad thoughts.

`No thanks´, she said and left the bar. More alcohol wasn't wise when she thought about her intentions. Yes, she had drunk alcohol but she knew her limit, she was still clear and had control over her actions. After some minutes she had reached the harbour. Looking at the black key's label she searched for the right motor-boat. And there it was. It wasn't huge, but it would fulfil its duty.

_`You're sure you want to do this? _´, her small iguana asked in her mind, while starting the motor. Zhalia ignored Gareon's statement and started the boat.

The cool wind played with her loose hair and the small water drops that met her face refreshed her. She had always had a fondness for high speed and Venice' empty sewers by night gave the perfect opportunity to live it out. And it felt good. It really did. The high speed blew nearly all of her bad thoughts out of her mind. Until…

`_What have you done? You let her escape! You let years of work and experiments escape_!´, the words echoed in her mind. And she saw pictures in her head. Memories that were for sure not hers. She saw the empty cell and two suits. They were lying on the floor, knocked out. She had knocked them out before she escaped weeks ago. This was her cell only moments after her fight with the suits, after her escape. But where did this come from? Why could she see things she never lived to see? But it weren't only the memories that haunted her mind, she felt different too. Like there was someone else in her mind.

_`I told you to look after her. We anticipated that she would try to escape again. And you let yourself get knocked out by a young woman´,_ the voice got louder and louder. It drowned the noise of the motor-boat and all the other sounds. Her body began to shake and her sight got blurred. Too many pictures floated her mind and the voice, Klaus' voice, hurt in her ears. She tried to stay calm, to see through the dark spots that started to cloud her view. Her head hurt and all she wanted was to sink on her knees and to cover her ears, to cry and to clear her mind again.

Suddenly pain and shock dragged her out of her emotional chaos. The motor-boat crashed against one of the sewer-sites. The last thing she remembered where flames, smoke and pain…

_**Dante's pov:**_

He had tried to find new information but the Organisation had left nothing helpful. Not even Zhalia's cell had given him new facts. Only dried bloodspots and scars on the walls, probably caused by fingernails during a fight, proved that this cell was once inhabited.

There weren't many things that scared him, but this cell was definitely one of them. If there were perfect locations for a horror movie this cell was definitely one of them. Dark, left by its inhabitant, an arena of pain and torture and set under a city full of life, where no one would expect it.

He winced at the sound of his mobile phone ringing.

`Vale´, he answered the phone.

`Dante, it's Metz. I need you to come to the hospital. A doctor just phoned me. Zhalia was taken to the Foundation's hospital. I'll meet you there´, Dante heard Metz voice say.

`Shit´, Dante murmured packing away his mobile phone and hurrying to the stairs that led back to Venice' surface. His thoughts started literally estimating in his mind. Had the Organisation hurt her again…?

He met Metz in the hospital's entrance hall.

`What happened? How is she? ´, Dante asked. He hurt the blood pulse in his head. He was worried, had the Organisation attacked her once again? But then he saw that his mentor's face was signed by relief.

`She's alright. A concussion, several bruises, her shoulder is wounded and she nearly drowned. But none of her injuries right now is life-threatening. A police-boat found her and rescued her before it was too late´.

Dante breathed in heavily.

`How did this happen? I mean how could she almost drown? ´, he asked still shocked. Metz sighed.

`She must have found the keys to your motor-boat. Her blood bears traces of alcohol. I guess she was drunk and lost control over the motor-boat. She crashed into one of the sewer's walls and nearly drowned while being unconscious´, his mentor said.

Dante shook his head with a disbelieving sigh. He couldn't believe it. She had started a new life and now she had nothing better to do than risk her life because of alcohol.

`The doctors said that we could take her home if we wanted to. They gave her dry clothes and she is provided´, Dante heard Metz say.

`Fine, I'll take her home´, answered Dante.

When he saw her on the hospital bed his heart ached. He was so pale and the bruises that decorated her skin didn't make him feel better. Her shoulder was still covered by bandages. She wore a black top and joggers. Her hair was still wet and some single drops ran over her face like tears. He picked her up she let out something that sounded like a sob although she was unconscious…

_**Third-Person-Narrator:**_

_**The following morning: **_

`I wasn't drunk! ´, Zhalia shouted. She couldn't believe it. Why did no one listen to her? They sat in the kitchen and she was having a loud argument with Dante and Metz. Dante stood with his back to her and looked out of the window and Metz was like Zhalia having breakfast at table.

`Oh, no you weren't. And why did the doctors find traces of alcohol in your blood? ´, Dante called. He seemed to be beside himself with rage.

`Yes, I did drink. But I was clear, when I drove the boat. I still knew what I was doing and I didn't drink much´, she tried to convince him.

`Yeah, that's what they always say´, Dante commented. Zhalia rolled her eyes. Why didn't they trust her. She wasn't crazy. She had known what she was doing. She shoved her plate away and stood up.

`I had control over the situation until those voices started shouting in my head. My sight got blurred and I couldn't see clearly anymore. I don't know what it was but it seemed like there was someone in my mind´, she shouted. Her voice had turned shrill and the headache started to pulse in her head again.

`Do you know how odd this sounds? You're trying to tell me that you heard voices in your head? Listen, we all noticed that the fight with Klaus disturbed you. You've been tired because you had Gareon always evoked and I think in combination with alcohol it was too much for you´, Dante argued. Zhalia bristled with anger. _`He thinks you're crazy´_. Gareon's voice whispered in her mind. Her titan had said something she had tried to bear down since Dante had told her his opinion about her nightly accident.

`I have to admit Zhalia, that this is really kind of weird´, Metz agreed.

`You know, I don't care. Think whatever you want but I'm telling you: Something is wrong´, she stood up and turned to leave the kitchen. Before reaching the door she turned around once again to face Dante.

`I expected more from you. I guess that was a mistake´, she said her eyes and her expression deadly cold. Then she left the kitchen…

_**I hope you like it… Honestly I think this version is much better than my first… My first was somehow confusing… **_

_**Please review… I would be very thankful… **_


	6. Chapter five

_**Hey guys…**_

_**Ok, I only got some feedbacks about my new version of chapter four. Some of you haven't been able to review, because they'd already left a comment about my former version.**_

_**So please add your opinion about chapter four to your new review… (If you review this chapter, which I hope (: )**_

_**Please have fun while reading and please review, because your reviews are really making me happy and I always enjoy reading what people like and think about my ideas… **_

_**A big thanks to all of you… ;)**_

_**Yours**_

_**~MissLaboe~**_

_**Chapter five:**_

_**Zhalia's pov:**_

Zhalia's head hurt. The concussion and the morning-argument with Dante and Metz had forced the headache to bother her again. She had just left the kitchen and rushed back to her room. Although she wore her dark-green bathrobe over her black nightgown she was shivering.

`_You see. Your escape didn't help you. They don't take you seriously. Klaus was right you're nothing but an experiment_´, the voice. It was there again. Zhalia pressed her hands over both her ears. The words started echoing and her walk started to get shakily. Her legs started shaking and her hands were cramped. The words repeated in her mind and everything around her started turning again. _Mistress, should I call for help?_ Her small iguana asked. She was able to sort Gareon's voice out and tried to focus on it. Shaking she was able to enter her room before all strength left her and made her sink to the ground with her back pressed against the door.

_`You can't do anything to make me stop. Those voices are the aftereffects of Klaus' experiments and your ability to control peoples mind. A peace of every person's mind you have controlled is now locked up in your head. Klaus was trying to find a cure for you, so you could use your ability without stealing a peace of mind from your enemies, but then you escaped´_, the voice in her head whispered while other voices started to appear in her mind. Voices of people who she had been forced to control while she was imprisoned.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx **_

_**Flashback:**_

The lab was dark, it had to be night. The sixteen year old Zhalia was escorted to a chair with fetters on the armrests. Three men were needed to keep the teenage girl from escaping. Shivers ran down her spine when she felt the cold metal of the fetters close around her wrists and the silent `_click_´ when they snapped into place. She looked down at her hand unnatural pail in contrast with the black metal. She knew that it had no sense to fight the fetters' grip. Too many times had she tried. Suddenly a movement in front of her about two metres away drew her attention. A suit dragged a frightened and crying boy into the lab. Zhalia felt as if her heart stopped beating for a short moment. _No, they wouldn't._ They wouldn't risk it, would they? She had never been able to have control over an animal's mind longer than some seconds without killing it. 30 seconds at count. They had tried everything to force her. As if torture would expand her ability.

The boy wasn't older than seven years. He had blond hair and his green eyes were filled with fear. He focused his eyes on something behind her which she couldn't see. It was Klaus. He stood behind the chair and rested his hands on her shoulders.

`Good evening my dear. Let me introduce you to Alan´, he pointed at the boy. `I met him while he was waiting for his mother after school to take him home and I thought he might be a steepening incentive for you´, Klaus smiled. Well at least he sounded as if he smiled. Zhalia couldn't see his face.

Panic filled her whole body. Animals had been worse enough. She remembered the small cats and rabbits that never made it out of this lab. She was sure, she would kill the boy.

`Klaus. That's enough. I won't do it. I can't…´, her voice broke when she felt his fingers stroke her hair slightly as if he was a nice uncle or whatever.

`I think you can. You just have to concentrate more. We'll cap the 30 seconds today´, he said still calm, but Zhalia could hear the grave undertone.

`I can't. Give me 30 seconds and he won't return to his mother again. This is cruel, I won't be the reason for a family funeral´, her voice started to turn shrill.

`So, let's play this game differently. I give you the chance to rescue him. When you top the 30 seconds and leave him alive I'll let him go. If you refuse I'll kill the boy. It's in your hands now…´, Klaus voice echoed through the room.

Zhalia felt numb. She heard Klaus' voice as if she was underwater. She saw him taking out the stopwatch, saw the boy and his eyes widened with fear, fear of her. She would try everything so he would see his mother again.

In the same second her eyes turned black and the boy's eyes turned expressionless too. She was in his mind. Scenes from his childhood, his family. Birthday parties, Christmas eves, school trips. Everything that mattered for a seven year old boy flew into her mind. Her hands clenched into fists, her skin turned pale. This was different. Animals hadn't celebrated Birthday parties. Animals hadn't had a baby sister that played with her mother's fingers. And the worst thing was: She saw her own past in the boy's mind. Those moments that seemed to be unimportant like breakfast and a car trip, an argument with your parents, she had had all those things. And it had all slipped through her fingers…

Suddenly the stream of emotions and memories stopped. Everything was blurred, her hands were numb, her body was cold and shaking, tears ran down her cheeks and the boy lay on the floor. Not moving, not breathing… dead.

She heard Klaus calling something about 47 seconds and that the boy would unfortunately never come back home but that he was an acceptable price for those 17 seconds plus.

Feelings of guilt, sadness, anger, pain and weariness overwhelmed her. She had let her emotions take control of her. She had killed him and she would never forget his expressionless-dead but though clear eyes gazing at her in shock, making her responsible for everything he had lost within 47 seconds. Making her responsible for what she had lost too…

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**_

_**Dante's pov:**_

He looked at the kitchen door though Zhalia had left the room seconds ago. Her last words had made him question his view of things. He didn't know what to think anymore. On the one hand there were the doctors telling him that she had been drunk, on the other hand there was Zhalia assuring him that she hadn't been drunk and telling him that something wasn't right with her.

`She will calm down again´, Metz' voice dragged him out of his thoughts and back to reality again.

`I hope so´, Dante murmured. Silence fell over the room only interrupted by Metz' newspaper's rustling when he was about to read the next site.

Suddenly the silence was broken by screaming. But it wasn't only screaming it was something that made shivers run down Dante's spine and that he would never forget. It sounded shrill and panic-fuelled as if the screaming person was being transported with panic and hysteria.

Both men ran up to the corridors. Dante never noticed that the way from the kitchen to the bedrooms was so long and the screaming was getting louder and louder the nearer they came. Finally they had reached Zhalia's room. Dante wanted to open the door but something was on the other side of the door blocking it. He leaned against the door and was able to open it.

It was a horrific scene. He now knew what had blocked the door. Zhalia was lying on the ground behind the door. She was dead-pail and her face was a mask of hysteria and panic. Her body was curled up but she was twitching. Her eyes clearly showed that she was absent. They looked through everything, deep and empty but filled with tears. Blood was running down her hands. Her clenched fists pierced her nails into her flesh and cut it open.

`Go and see if you can find tranquiliser! ´, Dante called. He was scared, never in his life had he seen something like this. He picked her up and carried her to the bed where he tried everything to make her gain her control again.

After shaking her and calling her name for a period of time she reacted on him.

`Make them stop, please tell them to stop. I can't take it anymore. I know it's my fault that he died´, she murmured when she stopped screaming for some seconds.

`It's ok Zhalia. Listen: Metz is getting you something. They will stop´, he assured her when Metz entered the room again. As fast as possible they sedated her. It took her some time to calm down. Even after half an hour she was still shaking and murmuring things while slowly drifting to a disturbed sleep…

The last words Dante could understand were: Because of 17 seconds…

_**Well, that's it for now…**_

_**And once again: Please review! **_


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